I am in tears for having to write this. It's so emotional and so sad. This is also obviously the best scene in the entire story and his promise is so true!! I just love this scene and this chapter was one of my favorite pieces of writing. Oh! And I also threw in a little something, something for Hitsugaya and my OC. And…I'm still stalling on who will die and who will live.


Promise Me

The cries slowly grew silent and the waters became calmer. There were no longer any splashing kicks of water nor any frantic yells of help. In seconds, the Atlantic gradually grew so quiet that a tiny little whisper could be heard from miles away. Scattered in and about the ocean was the dreadful bodies of unfortunate passengers who did not make it in time. For those who knew, they had closed their eyes and left with a peaceful smile. Others still had their mouths frozen open and their eyes alert, their face painting a sign of need. Only little were still alive…

A little wave of moving water splashed onto the carved wooden panel, barely even spreading out halfway on the face. She was hanging off the edge of the carved wood, her face overhanging out right in front of someone else. Her lips were turning blue, her hair had small particles of ice forming all around, and her body shaken and still trembling from the frost bitten cold.

He gave a trembling smile and spoke out clearly with no stutters. "Look at you…you look worse off than before."

She tried to smile from his way of trying to make her happy or humored, but the cold just wouldn't let her. She just rested her tired head back into her crossed arms and just stared at him in the eyes, hoping he could read her face like a book.

"Are you still not going to talk to me? Naori?" He asked her in a clear mellow voice.

She slowly dropped her eyes closed and opened them back up after a moment of resting. "I-I…don get…it…" She managed to say in a faint voice.

Hitsugaya's eyes widened in surprise and he suddenly jumped back a little. This was the first time she finally talked to him again. He had thought he scared her to enough to being mute. "You're finally talking again?" He loudly exclaimed.

Naori smiled again from her friends face and surprise, though the icy cold had prevented her blue lips from moving at all. She barely opened her lips to speak again. "D-Don get it…y-you…no…c-cold…"

Hitsugaya's cheeks still looked full and they were bitten red like someone had squeezed his cheeks hard. His hair was still lively and there were only bits of ice on it, transparent from his white hair. He gave a short, quick smile and rested his hands on Naori's frosty arms. Naori could feel warmth enveloping the small portion of her arm from where Hitsugaya had touched her. The two were complete opposites of being dead and alive.

"I'm used to the cold", Hitsugaya reassured Naori in a gentle, yet firm voice.

Naori's face was tired out and it started burying itself into her arms. She was quickly losing her composure and she felt that she didn't have enough strength to move anymore. Hitsugaya gently held his hand under her chin and lifted her head up to face his. Naori could feel a hot fire coming out of his fingertips and into her flesh. It felt nice to feel warmth from him.

"But it was a pain to have to carry you onto this ship panel", Hitsugaya said, easily catching Naori's attention. "You should have told me you couldn't swim."

Naori face fell from Hitsugaya's hand back to her arms. She rested her eyes once more and mumbled, "Too…embarrass…" Her vocabulary was easily slipping away due to the needle-like cold air surrounding her.

Hitsugaya quietly looked on at the tired girl before him, feeling her sorrow coming at him like an arrow hitting its target. When he had touched Naori, he could feel that there was no sign of warmth left in her body and she was the one floating out of the water. He solemnly placed his hands on Naori, giving her the last bits of warmth that was left in him. Hitsugaya felt the girl shake a little and he could hear a small whimper coming out of her.

"S-Shiro…" Naori resurfaced from her arms again…her amber eyes brimming with small tears. "I-I-I…I"

"What is it?" Hitsugaya asked her and Naori buried her embarrassed face in her arms again.

"I'm sorry!" Naori poured out in a faint and cracked voice. "I'm sorry I made you jump back! I'm sorry you had to yell at me! I'm sorry for being a burden to you! I'm sorry I'm such an idiot! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Toshiro…"

Hitsugaya's face stayed silent and still, even from the sudden confession from Naori. He could hear her whimper again and he could see drops of tears slipping down on the oak panel, creating ripples once the drops had reached the surface of the ocean.

"I…so-rry…" Naori tearfully said again.

Meanwhile…

Ichigo looked all around him and Rukia laid her head onto Ichigo's arms. The two of them were so scared for drifting in the middle of a watery graveyard. Everyone around them had completely froze to death and everything was dead silent.

"It's so quiet…" Rukia weakly said and looked at Ichigo, her purple eyes getting duller.

"I-It's g-going to take a while f-for the boats-to get o-org-ganized", Ichigo stuttered out with his body temperature dropping more and more by the second. "I-I d-don't know bout you…b-but I'm g-going to write…a s-strongly worded letter…t-to…the White Star line about all this."

Rukia smiled a faint smile, seeing Ichigo still had a little humor left in him. Her blue lips moved again and it produced a small and sorrowful voice. "I love you…Ichigo."

Ichigo's trembling eyes shot up once he heard those words come from Rukia. It wasn't a good sign for the both of them. "Don't you do it, Rukia. Don't you say your good byes… Not yet…do you understand me?" He said in a firm and stern voice.

Rukia trembled some more and whimpered out, "I'm…so…cold." She could feel tears coming down her face and into her arms.

"You're g-gonna get out of here…you're gonna go on…a-and make lots of babies…and watch them grow." Ichigo's voice was full of such hope; Rukia could just stay there and listen to him talk. "Y-You're g-going to die…an-an old lady…warm in her bed… N-Not here. N-Not t-this night...n-not like this, you understand me."

Rukia stayed silent and stayed trembling more. It became harder to respond and her teeth were chattering till no end. Rukia edged a little closer to Ichigo and brought her face even closer to Ichigo.

"Winning that ticket, Rukia…was t-the best thing that happened to me", Ichigo said and he gave out a trembling smile. "It brought me to you…and I'm thankful for that…Rukia…t-thankful."

Rukia wanted to give out her happiness and rush to hug Ichigo. The cold air had prevented her from doing so. All she could do was give a small smile back.

"You must… Y-you must do me this h-honor…you must promise me that you'll…never let go. T-That you won't…give up." Ichigo stuttered out his words even more, his warmth quickly leaving him. "N-no matter…what happens…n-no matter…how hopeless!"

Rukia gave out bits and small whimpers of joy and sadness once she heard him. Her eyes were overflowing with large drops of tears, flowing down like a river on her skin.

"Promise me now…R-Rukia", Ichigo said with his voice cracking and he was aching for huge gasps of air. "…and-and…n-never let go of that promise…"

"I promise", Rukia said with her eyes giving a little glint of determination and hope.

"Never let go." His voice was now in whispers and there was no longer a tone or feel to it.

"I won't let go, Ichigo……I'll never let go", Rukia tearfully exclaimed, her lips forcing her to gasp out those words.

Ichigo smiled and he gently kissed Rukia's hands that had held his. He let out quick gasp of air and he let his head fall into Rukia's arms. Rukia shivered even more from the cold and placed her head right on top of Ichigo's. The cold wind blew a little, yet Rukia felt warm with Ichigo's spiky orange hair tickling her skin.

Meanwhile…

Hitsugaya held out his hand and lifted Naori's buried face. Her face had gone completely white and her tears were like raindrops against cold marble. Naori, surprised, lifted her hand as well and laid it on the Hitsugaya's hand that was holding her cheek.

"Stop talking already", Hitsugaya said and wiped off the tears Naori had. "You're just going to get colder that way."

"B-but-" Naori faintly argued back, her vocal cords already failing her.

"Was that why you wouldn't talk to me this entire time?" Hitsugaya asked, easily shutting Naori up. "So you can think of a way to apologize to me… Is that why?"

Naori simply looked away to avoid Hitsugaya's gaze and she dropped her hand. Her white face showed a hint of pink and some of the ice on her dark hair fluttered off.

"It's ok…I forgive you", Hitsugaya said and Naori turned back in surprise. "I jumped back myself and it was my decision…my decision alone. Well, I couldn't live with the fact that you were going back onto that ship, that line of death, and that I didn't do anything about it. I would feel guilty about it for my entire life…and it's not something you would want to have for an entire lifetime…so that's why I jumped back."

"To…shi…ro…" Naori whispered out and she shivered a bit more as the cold wind blew.

"You had nothing to do about it and you shouldn't be beating yourself up for what I did. I swear, you worry way too much…you idiot." He cracked a smirk at Naori, who just stayed silent and shivering. "Sure I could have lived…but you wouldn't."

Naori suddenly felt her emotions overwhelming her and it wasn't long till she started crying all over again. Hitsugaya was, of course, easily taken aback from the sudden tears.

"What-What I say this time!?" He asked in surprise.

Naori shuddered and shook her head, flinging her tears all around her. Hitsugaya calmed down and smiled that she was probably overjoyed. He let Naori grip onto his hand as he caressed her cheek. Suddenly, Naori moved her head and lifted Hitsugaya's hand from her cheek. She held his hand close to her chest, letting their fingers intertwine with each other, with Naori gripping even more tightly onto Hitsugaya's hand. Hitsugaya gave simple smile and he rested his head on the wooden panel in front of Naori, letting her teardrops drip onto his arm. Naori stayed silent and choked out even more tears for she didn't want to realize any more…that Hitsugaya's hand had become cold.


Who do you think is going to be killed in the next chapter? It's…a…cliffhanger!!! It's fun for me and nerve-wracking for you. Anyways…you probably know the drill by now.

Review!!!!!!